Personalized Princess Books -- National Princess Week Resources & Giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review by I See Me! Inc. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Happy National Princess Week!! It began yesterday. Now as I have stated I am sharing some of my resources for teaching Hazel about princesses that are not all frilly and fancy. However there is a time for that. Today's post is sharing my favorite frilly princess books. They are personalized and have a child's name in it and some even have a photo of the child. The first book I am My Royal Birthday Adventure for girls or Hazel's Royal Birthday Adventure by Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Valerie Sokolowz.

Personalized Books for Boys, Girls, Teens and Adults -- Early Holiday Shopping!

 

Disclosure: In The Book sent me these three personalized books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

This year everything seems weird. I know many products are delayed quite a bit lately if they are not American made. I always begin my holiday shopping early and have begun quite a bit of it. One of my favorite things to give kids is personalized books. Kids love seeing their names and photos in books. This year In The Book Published by Signature reached out to see if I would be interested in doing a review. I checked out their site and was very interested. They have something for everyone!! There are books for boys and girls of all ages. There are books for teens and sport lovers. There are even books for adults including newlyweds!! I love the personalized anniversary books. A friend gave me an anniversary book at my bridal shower. We love it. Having it personalized would be even more special!

The Perfect Gift for a Child: Personalized books

Disclosure: I See Me! Inc.  gave me a copy of this book and ornament free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing a personalized book from I See Me! Inc. Hazel describes Hazel Can Change the World as her favorite book ever!! She often pulls it out just to look at it and now reads it to herself as well as to my parents at story time. (She reads to my parents over the phone almost every night.)

She has literally made paper hearts for all of her classmates because there is a page in it where the brown haired girl gives out hearts to spread love.  I have to say it is one of the best things I have gotten her. Therefore I jumped at the idea of getting another personalized book for her. This year we got My Very Own Fairy Tale by Maia Haag and illustrated by Joyce Patti.

Merry Monday -- Christmas Picture Books Featuring Holiday Songs

Disclosure: I was sent these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ok, I know we still have Thanksgiving coming up and many people do not want to think about Christmas yet, but I am in a bit of a Christmas mood and have some fun Christmas books to share with you (there has been a pile on my shelf for quite some time). Now I know in the past I have done many round-ups from my Must Read books (featuring religious ones), Multicultural books, Christmas Trees & Classic stories, Advent stories, and so many more!! Today we are going to focus on Christmas music or should I say picture books about Christmas music!! The first item is actually a personalized gift set. Now we have reviewed several amazing personalized Christmas books as well as non-holiday ones over the past couple of years. Hazel's comment about this one was, "This is the best one yet!"

Personalized Children's Book Review--Hazel Can Change the World!

Disclosure: I See Me! Inc.  gave me a copy of this book free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I get to share with you a wonderful product. This book is now Hazel's favorite!! What child would not want to see their name and a child who looks like them throughout the book. Hazel's name is right on the cover.

Princess Hazel -- I See Me! Personalized Book Review for National Princess Week

* Disclosure: The Gymboree and Little Passport links in this post are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Disclosure: I See Me! Inc.  gave me a copy of this book and ornament free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Did you know there is a National Princess Week every April? It is always the last full week in April. It started in 2012 when Julie Andrews, Target and Disney joined together to create it. Julie Andrews's website says "Believe in yourself! Only then can you truly let your sparkle out for all the world to see." (Source) The website also has a post of 30 Ways to Celebrate National Princess Week.  We chose a fun way to celebrate and started a bit early. I See Me! sent us the Princess Personalized Book. All I have to say is Hazel was really excited when it came! 

Exploring the States with a Personalized Book & More!

Disclosure: I See Me! Inc.  gave me a copy of this book free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

This summer we are exploring the states of the United Sates. It was part of our homeschool curriculum this past school year, but I thought we should do more than what she had been doing in school. We have been enjoying some items we already reviewed, but want to extend our lessons all summer. In the past month we had a couple of birthday parties for younger girls. I asked Hazel what we should get and she immediately said a book from I See Me. Hazel loves the books we have gotten from there.  When we were shopping for the gift I saw the perfect book for our USA exploration. It is My U.S.A. Road Trip by Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by Barbara Bongini. This is a photo book so you can have the child's face put into the pictures!

The Kindness Machine -- Picture Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Purple Butterfly Press and will receive a small stipend for this post. All opinions are my own.

"Spread kindness like confetti!" and "Be kind!" are two very popular sayings these days. Let's face it, today's world really needs more kindness! We are teaching our kids to be kind to others but are we teaching them to be kind to themselves. Are we being kind to ourselves and others? How do we really teach kindness? The answer to many of these questions can be answered with today's book. The book is The Kindness Machine by Chirstina Dankert and illustrated by Chad Dankert.

There is More to Princesses than Sparkle and Ball Gowns - National Princess Week Resources & Giveaway

Do you know that the last full week of April is National Princess Week? In 2012 Target, Julie Andrews and Disney started National Princess Week. Now Hazel and I are both girly-girls and we love the sparkle and glamour of Disney princess, however I want Hazel to know there is more to princesses than sparkle and ball gowns. I want her to have strong women role models and have worked hard to share stories throughout her life thus far with strong female role models. To help you teach your children about princesses that are not all sparkly and wearing ball gowns I have gathered together some of our favorite princess books and with donations from the publishers I am providing you a chance to win most of our resources!! Some of these books we have reviewed previously and others are new ones and we will be reviewing them this month. Another great resource is our Fairy Tales in Different Cultures Series. Many of these versions of traditional fairy tales do not have all the sparkle and glamour of the Disney versions.

Opening the Road -- Multicultural Children's Book Day Review #readyourworld

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is here!! I finally get to begin sharing all the wonderful books I get to review for Multicultural Children's Book Day! The official day with the link party to share all the reviews is January 29th, next Friday! Between now and then I get to share eight books with you (and then I donate them to Hazel's school or our public library). The books I got this year have a wide range from history, travel to fantasy and more. I thought with it being Martin Luther King Day I would start by sharing a book about a Black man. The book is Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson and illustrated by Alleanna Harris. This book is being released on January 26, 2021 but you can pre-order it today. It is a perfect book for Black History Month (February)!

Dare to Question -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and a small stipend. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Jamine Stirling to share this book with you and offer the giveaway.

When you think of the Women's Suffrage Movement in the United States, who do you think of? I am sure names like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton come to mind. Have you heard of Carrie Chapman Catt? It is because of her questions and thinking that we finally got the vote. Today I get to share a new picture book with you about her and her role as a suffragist. The book is Dare to Question: Carrie Chapman Catt's Voice for the Vote by Jasmine A. Stirling and illustrated by Udayana Lugo. It is recommended for ages 5 and up. There is also a giveaway at the end of this post!

Troubles and Doubles and Reflections Askew and Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound -- Double Book Review and Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share with you two great picture books that have lessons of self-control and self-love. Both books are by Dr. Drew Palacio and illustrated by Apolline Etienne and are recommended for ages 4+. The newest of the books is Troubles and Doubles and Reflections Askew. The other book is Shrieks and Sounds and Things Abound. Both are offered as prizes in the giveaway at the end!

Review of American History: Asians in America #readyourworld

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Today I am sharing the first of my reviews for Multicultural Children's Book Day. Today's book shares about fourteen Asian Americans and what they achieved with their lives. The book is part of the Casey S. Bell's American History series.

A Different Kind of Princess -- National Princess Week Resources and Giveaway!!

Disclosure: I was sent these books to review free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

A princess needs to be strong and brave among many other traits. Even the storybook princesses, however today I am going to share some atypical princesses that emphasize being strong, brave, intelligent and more. The kind of princess that makes a good role model for our children. The first princess is the Hamster Princess or Princess Harriet. I have shared with you the first three (book 1, 2, and 3) books of this series and the first book is one of our prizes to get you started on this amazing series by Ursula Vernon. This series plays off the classic fairy tales with its main character being a hamster who is a princess who likes to fight evil. The first book is a play on Sleeping Beauty; the second Twelve Dancing Princesses; and the third Rapunzel. 

Mermaid Tales Book 18: Fairy Chase -- Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you been enjoying my reviews for Multicultural Children's Book Day? The big day is next Friday (1/29/21). You can stop by here to see the links of all the amazing books reviewed. I have shared some of the picture books with you--nonfiction and fiction as well as an easy reader. Today I am sharing an easy reader chapter book suggested for ages 6 to 9. The book itself is not all that multicultural but it is the 18th book in a series of 21 and the series itself is multicultural. The series is Mermaid Tales by Debbie Dadey and illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. Today's book is Fairy Chase. 

Multicultural Children's Book Day Review--Greenhorn #readyourworld

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Are you ready for another multicultural children's book review? This week I am featuring two books by Anna Olswanger that share a bit of Jewish history. Today's book takes us to New York City post World War II. It is Greenhorn and was illustrated by Miriam Nerlove. 

In this book, a Holocaust survivor from Poland is brought to a Jewish boarding school in New York City. The young survivor does not speak English and carries with him a small box all the time. One boy at the school befriends him and tries to protect him from the teasing of the other boys however the friend stutters and is often teased himself. 

The story is about friendship and bravery. It is powerful and teaches a bit about the Holocaust. It is written for 8- to 12-year-olds. Through friendship the two boys find their own voices and are able to help one another through a tough time in each other's lives. The story is well written and interesting to read. There is the typical teasing and even bullying in the story but throughout it we learn about what Jews had to go through during the Holocaust. 

Anna Olswanger provides a discussion guide for families as well as one for teachers to go with this book and there is a short film made based on it. The photographs are from this film. Here is the trailer for it. 

The book itself is short and small but the story is based on real life. At the end of the book Anna shares that the real life boys in the story meet as adults and discover that each has made his own dreams come true. This book is perfect for any unit on the Holocaust to see a side not often discussed. I hope you will check it out.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Prgamaticmom) and Valarie Budayr’s (Audreypress.com) Platinum Sponsors: Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Candlewick Press, Capstone, Hoopoe Books, KidLitTV, Peachtree Publishing Company Inc. Silver Sponsors: Charlotte Riggle, Connecticut Association of School Librarians, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, Pack-N-Go Girls Bronze Sponsors: Agatha Rodi and AMELIE is IMPRESSED!, Barnes Brothers Books, Create and Educate Solutions, LLC, Dreambuilt Books, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin Real Estate, Snowflake Stories, Star Bright Books, TimTimTom Bilingual Personalized Books, Author Vivian Kirkfield, Wisdom Tales Press,  

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Poster Artist: Nat Iwata Authors: Author Afsaneh Moradian, Author Alva Sachs & Three Wishes Publishing Company, Author Angeliki Stamatopoulou-Pedersen, Author Anna Olswanger, Author Casey Bell , Author Claudine Norden, Author Debbie Dadey, Author Diana Huang & Intrepids, Author Eugenia Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Green Kids Club, Author Gwen Jackson, Author Janet Balletta, Author Josh Funk, Author Julia Inserro, Karter Johnson & Popcorn and Books, Author Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, Author Keila Dawson, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Author Mia Wenjen, Michael Genhart, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Natalie Murray, Natalie McDonald-Perkins, Author Natasha Yim, Author Phe Lang and Me On The Page Publishing, Sandra Elaine Scott, Author Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids, Author Theresa Mackiewicz, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Author Toshia Stelivan, Valerie Williams-Sanchez & The Cocoa Kids Collection Books©, Author Vanessa Womack, MBA, Author Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2021 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD's Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit Gallery of Our Free Posters FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

 

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas. We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. ** Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter! Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Shlemiel Crooks -- a Multicultural Children's Book Day Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today we continue with this year's reviews of books for Multicultural Children's Book Day. The big day is Friday!! Stop by and see the links to all the reviews. There are many great books being shared that day. Today we are focusing on a fun Jewish story based on a true story. It is Shlemiel Crooks by Anna Olswanger and Paula Goodman Koz. 

Sophie Washington My BFF -- A book about friendship and standing up for yourself #readyourworld

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today is our last book for this year's Multicultural Children's Book Day which is tomorrow!! Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out the huge link party and be sure to sign up for the Twitter party! Today's book is a middle grade book (ages 8 to 12) about a Black girl and her friends. It is the tenth book in the Sophie Washington Series. It is Sophie Washington My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis. 

Amazing Places -- Travel from Home with this Multicultural Children's Book

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One thing I love about books is how you can travel the world with them. Today's book is one that will take the reader around the world and let them learn about amazing places everywhere. The book is Barefoot Books Amazing Places by Miralda Colombo and illustrated by Beatrice Cerochhi. 

Multicultural Children's Book Day 2021

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!